HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Jan 30: Assam is among the top five states in the country in the progress of implementing the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Governor Gulab Chand Kataria said on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters after a review meeting of NEP implementation in higher education institutions at Assam Administrative Staff College, Khanapara, he said some challenges were still there in enforcing it completely and work was on to overcome those.
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“Assam is among the top five states so far as progress in implementing the policy is concerned. We have invited the vice-chancellors today to ask them about the problems being faced in enforcing the NEP,” he said.
Earlier, addressing the review meeting, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that female education is a priority area of the current government and it’s planning to introduce several measures for its promotion.
“Promotion of female education has always been a priority area for the current dispensation in the state and that numerous far-reaching measures can be expected in this regard in days to come,” an official statement quoted him as saying.
Sarma expressed his gratitude towards the state Governor for the latter’s role in holding the review meeting today.
He said the Governor has been relentlessly pursuing the state administration and the higher educational institutions across Assam to implement the provisions of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 since the very beginning of his tenure here.
The chief minister raised concerns about the not-so-satisfactory gross enrolment ratio in higher education in Assam as was highlighted in the recently published All India Survey on Higher Education.
“Gross enrolment in the state is stuck between 17-18 per cent range despite massive investments in higher education in the past decade or so,” the Sarma remarked.
He also stressed upon the need for a holistic approach so that the state can attain a more desirable gross enrolment ratio in days to come.
“It is the duty of all concerned to see that higher education is made more accessible and affordable for all those who are eligible, irrespective of his or her socioeconomic status,” he added.
He further hinted at exploring the possibility of introducing a new system of scholarship for pursuing courses in higher education in institutions by eligible students across the state.
The chief minister said higher educational institutions’ campuses should become an epicentre of students’ welfare and institutions may look into the possibility of creating a post of “Director of Students’ Welfare” for that purpose.
“Students resorting to agitation for matters ranging from educational and course-related issues to political subjects, among others, are a reflection of an educational institution’s failure,” he added.
He further asked the heads of higher educational institutions to draw up institutional development plans taking into consideration the demands and requirements of the contemporary educational scenario in the country.
The chief minister exuded confidence Assam would be able to get itself counted as a role model in implementation of provisions of NEP 2020 in letter and spirit.
He urged upon the vice-chancellors of universities across the state to do everything within their capacity so that students can look upto them as role models in leadership and welfare of all subordinates.
“It is incumbent upon the vice-chancellors to see that their respective institutions are doing justice to the purposes behind their establishments,” the chief minister stated.
Stating that there is no place for irregularities in recruitments to fill up vacancies in contemporary Assam, Sarma appealed to the heads of higher educational institutions across the state to root out all kinds of nepotism and favouritism from their respective campuses.
Sarma called upon the concerned government officials and heads of higher educational institutions to work upon a uniform academic calendar. (With inputs from PTI)
